Services director asked to resign
Alice Maddox out as Children Services board seeks new direction.
BEAVERCREEK —
The Greene County Children Services board voted against reinstating its executive director on Thursday during a board meeting.
The board placed the agency’s executive director, Alice Maddox, on administrative leave and asked her to resign during the executive session of a Children Services board meeting on April 26.
Maddox, who has been with the agency over two decades and was appointed executive director in 2010, would remain on administrative leave with pay until June 30, 2012, when her resignation becomes effective, according to a copy of the draft separation agreement obtained by the Dayton Daily News. Maddox would also be entitled to payouts for earned but unused vacation leave.
About 35 people, including public officials, current and former board members and Children Services employees, filled the small conference room at the Western Ohio Regional Training Center. Several people addressed the board and told them how they felt about its decision to ask Maddox to resign.
“Many of us are grieving as if we went through a death,” said Julie White, the agency’s human resources director.
The audience applauded when Diane Phillips, a former board member, told current board members they were making a big mistake by asking Maddox to resign.
“I hope there isn’t something political ... going on here, ’cause that’s what it smells like.”
The Greene County Children Services board is made up of nine or fewer members who are appointed by the Greene County Board of Commissioners.
Appointments are for fouryear terms and members can be appointed for a second term.
The agency, which is overseen by board, handles issues regarding the welfare of children including investigating reports of child abuse and neglect, finding homes for children and coordinating family support services.
The move to reinstate Maddox failed after three members voted against the action; two voted in favor of reinstating her and two abstained.
Randy Roach, a board member who made the motion to reinstate Maddox, said he didn’t understand the direction the board was moving in and if he didn’t understand, he was certain the executive director did not understand.
“She deserves the opportunity to fix this,” Roach said.
During an interview, Maddox said the board did not elaborate on their reasons for asking her to resign.
“They said that the board wanted to move in a different direction,” Maddox said. “They felt that we were moving in different directions.”
The board declined to say why it placed Maddox on leave and asked her to resign.
“My understanding is the board had informed Alice they were interested in going in another direction,” Marc Fischel, the board’s attorney, said. “I am not sure they discussed anything in more detail with her.”
Greene County Prosecutor Stephen Haller told the board their actions may be invalid. The board asked him to approve an interim executive director, but he said he will not approve one until he is sure the board’s action did not violate the Ohio Open Meetings Act.
“It’s invalid,” Haller said. “… You still have an executive director.”
Under Ohio law, public entities can convene an executive session, which is not open to the public, to discuss personnel matters related to the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion or compensation of a public employees and officials. However, any rules, actions or resolutions are invalid unless they are adopted during a public meeting.
The Children Services Board by-laws also invalidate all actions, resolutions and rules that are not adopted in a public meeting.
Greene County Commissioner-elect Tom Koogler, asked the board to suspend its operations for the next 60 days and allow the county administrator to oversee the agency while the county sheriff and county prosecutor conduct an investigation into their actions.
“You have an opportunity to fix this,” Koogler said.